


Promise

by takemyopenheart



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26353261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takemyopenheart/pseuds/takemyopenheart
Summary: It’s been a month since the traumatizing experience of nearly losing her life. And neither she nor Ethan will let another moment go to waste.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart), Ethan Ramsey/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 16





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> The following is what transpires some time after the events of chapter 11 of book 2.

The birds are awake and chirping their joyful melodies as this side of the world’s inhabitants rise for another day. It’s something Luz doesn’t take for granted as she opens her eyes to the golden-hued light seeping into her and Ethan’s bedroom. There’s air in her lungs and a beating heart in her chest.

It’s been her new lease on life since her harrowing experience nearly a month ago. All she’s thought about is the fact that she was at death’s door. But she fought. She fought for herself and for her family, for the friends she now considered her extended family, and for the man who changed her world. The man who inspired her in more ways than one. None of them ever left her side, and she would be eternally grateful to them for providing the strength when she felt she had none.

The nightmares haven’t ceased, though they’ve become less frequent since moving in with him. It was the next step in their relationship. Their dynamic is different, yet it feels familiar and natural, like this is where they were always meant to be. The home that was waiting for them all this time.

They wouldn’t waste another second without each other. They had to make up for lost time, so it wasn’t a surprise when he asked her to move in. He did good on his promise to hold her every night and show her and tell her how loved she was. Every one of Ethan’s rules had flown out the window the moment he feared losing her forever. It was the worst moment of his life.

Luckily, it wasn’t to be the end of their story.

The appetizing aroma of morning breakfast wafts from the kitchen and reaches her nose, causing her stomach to grumble. She rises to her feet, eager to satiate her hunger, and follows the smell. Eggs and bacon seems to be on the menu this morning.

The sight of Ethan bustling in the kitchen brings a smile to her face, and she lingers by the threshold taking in the shirtless sight of him preparing their meal with military precision. His intense focus is the common one she’s come to know so well. He’s methodical, even when it comes to breakfast.

His back is to her as he stands in front of the stove and cracks another egg. He’s taken by pleasant surprise when he feels a pair of arms circling around his waist. His mouth curves into a broad private smile, and his hand finds hers before bringing it to his lips.

He turns around to meet his favorite pair of eyes. "Morning, sweetheart." He reaches down to melt into her embrace and kiss those soft lips, until she turns her head away. "What is it?" He stares perplexed.

"Haven’t brushed my teeth," she answers with a light blush heating her cheeks.

His former expression relaxes, and he chuckles. "Then you won’t mind if I kiss you here." He brings his lips to the tip of her nose. "And here." He pecks both pink-tinged cheeks and her forehead.

His lips linger there, and their embrace tightens, neither wanting to break the moment. They seize every opportunity they can, and this is a perfect example of those times they often find themselves unwilling to let go.

Finally, after a long moment, a strong burning odor fills the air, and they immediately pull away.

"Oh shit, the bacon!" Ethan springs into action and removes the sizzling pan from the stove. Behind him, Luz can’t help but giggle at the scene. "Not to worry, only two strips managed to burn," he reassures her, throwing away the burnt remains before placing the pan back on the stove.

"Well, this certainly isn’t the kind of heat I anticipated this morning."

"I can provide that for you later." He shoots her a smirk and grabs two plates and two glasses.

She arches a brow at the tempting suggestion. "I’ll hold you to that, Ramsey."

He moves around her and sets the table. "Do I ever break my promises?"

Her mischievous smile fades as she takes in the question. She regards him as it suddenly holds much more meaning than he probably intended. "No," she answers truthfully as she thinks about all he’s proven to her over the past month. "You haven’t. And I know you won’t."

The seriousness in her tone catches his attention, but the smile breaking out across her face comforts him. "Never," he vows with sincerity.

A silent understanding passes between them. The accord that they’ll both hold onto that oath. No more looking back at the would’ve, should’ve, could’ves. It was pointless to resurrect that guilt again. They were here now, and that’s what mattered most.

She feels the familiar warmth of his fingers intertwining with her own. "Before we sit down to eat, I wanted to give you something. I don’t think I can wait a second longer."

"What is it?" she asks curiously as he makes his way out of the kitchen.

"Wait here, I’ll be right back."

She waits with bated breath, until he returns holding an envelope in his hands. "I want to fulfill every wish of yours, Luz. And this is the first of many."

She cocks her head as she thinks of what this could be. He tries to not let his expression give anything away as she opens the envelope. She holds his gaze with a quirked brow before directing her attention to the envelope.

Looking inside, she recognizes them as flight tickets and looks closely at the stubs. Her breath catches in her throat as she reads the print. "Wait a minute..." Her eyes become saucers at the realization. "These are tickets to Italy... are...are we going to Italy?"

He’s filled with warmth as he takes in the elation in her eyes. His hands find hers again and interlocks their fingers together. "Yes. I know this is something you always wanted. I know you thought you missed out on it, but you won’t. I want you—us—to have the time of our lives there. To experience it all."

Her eyes glimmer with tears as his thumb brushes over her cheek. And she’s brought back to the words she said when she feared she wouldn’t have time left.

_"I should have traveled more. I went from high school to college to med school to Edenbrook... I’ve barely been anywhere or seen anything."_

_"What would you have liked to see?"_

_"I wish I could have gone to all the places in those postcards Mrs. Martinez had hanging up. Do you remember?"_

_"I remember. She had the Sacre Coeur in Paris by her pillow, the acropolis in Athens on the wall opposite her bed."_

_"And the leaning tower of Pisa... the opera houses in Vienna... The canals of Venice. I’ll never see them for myself."_

_"You still can, Luz. You still will."_

_"I hope so."_

She didn’t know it then, but he made a silent promise that he would make that a reality for her when she pulled through. Because she would. He never lost hope because it wouldn’t end that way for her. She had a long life ahead of her, and he would be by her side every step of the way.

"Thank you, Ethan! I can’t wait to experience it together." Tears streak her cheeks, and she wraps her arms around his neck.

"I can’t wait either, Luz." He buries his face in her honey-scented hair, filled with so much gratitude that he gets to do this for the rest of his life.


End file.
